engleski

Biominerals in the mussels Mytilus galloprovincialis L.

X-ray powder diffraction was used to study the biomineralization processes of the Mediterranean mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis L. in different developmental stages. Embryos were obtained by spawning in laboratory conditions during the summer of 2006, while the juvenile mussels were collected on adult samples (also used in the research) brought from the aquaculture in the Raša Bay in Istria (Adriatic sea) in June 2006. The samples were analyzed with the Philips X'Change (Philips PW3710) diffractometer with monochromatized CuKa radiation. The analysis showed that the first calcite crystals are formed 3 hours after fertilization, in the early developmental stages. Aragonite forms at the same time as the formation of the first shell layers, 22 hours after fertilization. Parallel to aragonite, first crystals of quartz appear. Also, magnesium calcite was present in several embryonic samples. While the diffractograms of each embryonic sample vary, the diffractograms of the juvenile and adult samples are more or less the same with only small difference in the intensities. The juvenile and adult samples are built only of calcite and aragonite in the ratio of 76.5% calcite and 22% aragonite, what is characteristic for the species.

X-ray diffraction; Mytilus galloprovincialis; embryos; juvenile; aragonite; quartz; calcite

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